In the past few years in many places throughout the world, full power analog signal television (TV) transmissions have ceased to be broadcast, in preference for RF signal transmissions containing digital content information. Digital content signal transmissions offer advantages over analog content signal transmissions, including greater information content or bandwidth which leads to more programming and services, such as audio, internet service, telephone service, games, and interactive programming, as well as improved picture quality, greater protection from signal piracy, less costly infrastructure components, greater profit to signal distribution plant operators and easier compliance with regulatory constraints, among other things.
In connection with the conversion from analog to digital content information signal distribution, and in recognition of the large number of analog TV sets which are in use but no longer usable in connection with digital content distribution signals, relatively low-cost DTAs have been made available to customers so digital content distribution signals can be converted into analog content signals and used compatibly with analog TV sets. Many signal distribution plant operators have elected to provide DTAs to their customers at no cost or at a very low cost to maintain their customer base despite the move to distributing digital content signals. At the same time, the functionality of DTAs has been incorporated in relatively greater-featured and more costly set-top boxes. These greater-featured stand-alone set-top boxes are usually purchased by consumers because of their added functionality, such as program content recording, video disk playback, Multimedia Over Coaxial Alliance (MoCA) home networking capability, and other things. The customer who has purchased a stand-alone set-top box has no need for a DTA, because the stand-alone set-top box delivers all of the functionality of the DTA, and more. However, many other customers have not purchased stand-alone set-top boxes because they do not desire all of the functionality of a stand-alone set-top box or they do not wish to incur the expense of a stand-alone set-top box.
The majority of such customers who are satisfied with a basic featured DTA are usually renters who live in multiple dwelling units (MDUs), such as high-density apartments, assisted living centers, cluster and multi-family living arrangements, hotels and business office buildings. The DTA used in an MDU is a relatively small box-like device which connects to a coaxial cable wall outlet and to an analog TV set. Because the DTA requires a source of electrical power, a wall connected external power supply is also connected to the DTA. The typical DTA is frequently taped or otherwise attached to the rear of the analog TV set.
Due to the reoccurring occupancy of rented homes and offices within MDUs, and because the typical DTA is usually attached to the back of the analog TV set, it is frequently the case that the DTA is taken along with the analog TV set when the customer moves from the rented space. In many cases, the loss of the DTA is entirely unintentional, because the customer and/or mover does not realize that the DTA is not part of the customer's property. In other cases, the DTA is intentionally taken from the MDU. However, and regardless of the circumstances, the DTA is lost to the signal distribution plant operator, resulting in increased operational costs to replace lost DTAs. Even though the typical DTA is a relatively low-cost item, replacing lost DTAs can amount to a considerable expense because of the number of the DTAs placed in MDUs.
Another drawback of a conventional low-cost DTA is its capability to supply only analog signals capable of use by analog TV sets. While many customers still use analog TV sets, they are also acquiring other types of digital equipment which they desire to connect to the signal distribution plant. Examples of such digital equipment are a personal computer where access to the signal distribution plant achieves a connection to the internet, or telephone service which is achieved through a connection to the internet. Many customers have purchased high definition (HD) TV sets, but may also continue to use older analog TV sets.